Changes to private vehicle access to Dove Lake

25/09/2018

Cradle Mountain is one of Tasmania’s most visited national parks and ensuring a quality visitor experience, as well as improving visitor safety in the park is of paramount importance.

From 22 October 2018, a new fleet of larger hybrid diesel/electric shuttle buses will be introduced at Cradle Mountain to increase the carrying capacity of the current shuttle service and meet disability legislation requirements for public transport to Dove Lake.

The new buses are both wider and longer, making passing on the narrow Dove Lake Road more difficult. In order to ensure visitor safety and accommodate these larger vehicles, private vehicle access will be restricted during shuttle bus operating hours.

The new shuttle service will generally operate between 8:30am and 4:30pm during winter (1 April to 30 September), and 8:00am to 6:00pm over summer (1 October to 31 March) on a frequent timetable to provide a superior service to visitors. During shuttle bus operating hours, private vehicles will not be able to enter the park.

To minimise the impact on walkers undertaking longer day walks and people wanting to visit the park for sunrise or sunset, private vehicle access will still be available into the park outside of these hours. If departing during shuttle bus operating hours, these visitors will be required to follow a shuttle bus to ensure they do not meet an oncoming bus in a difficult place for vehicles to pass.

Parking for private vehicles will be retained at Dove Lake and there will be no reduction of parking at Ronny Creek and Waldheim. Walkers will be encouraged to embark on longer day walks from these locations.

Private vehicle access has been regulated at the park entrance since 2009 to manage traffic volume in the park and ensure traffic flows smoothly and safely on the narrow, winding Dove Lake Road.